TomG

It looks like, they did more these photos on this location.

You should go in TK armor to work once. I wear olivegreen officer uniform. Same color as Imperial officers in SW. Sometimes I wear camouflaged suit with high black boots. Yeah I´m soldier in active duty, but primary I work with servers, computers and stuff like that

I think, that next level after TD is some weathered and colored Clone armor Imperial officer is only special suit nothing hard.

Yeah it is more related MEPD. But still it is good looking sandtrooper Good work.

Interesting. Is this mesh based on some real helmet. If yes, witch one?

Fixed. Thanks.

I Changed text about this FX and Elite status.

With FX helmet?

Armor is not cheap thing, then before buy something, you need ask yourself for few questions. Do you want to be screen accurate and may be Elite on FISD? Or you want only legion approved armor? For screen accurate armors you need to search forum for acronyms TE, TE2, AP, GINO. TE, TE2, AP and GINO are armors created from ROTJ screen used armors sometimes with ANH parts or modified. TM is very accurate armor and is a fan sculpt. Then it was not used in film, but looks very similar. For everything else, that is aproved by Legion you need look for FX/GT, Movie FX or RT-Mod. They are all fansculpted, but they have a bit different shapes, that armors above. FX armors are known for oversized hemlet, that has bad proportions, it is still accepted by Legion but for Elite status you can´t use this FX helmet. How big are you? Screen accurate armors are created for skinny guys. Something about 5'11" and 150 pounds. Some accurate armors can be used on guys with a bit different proportions but not too much. If you are much bigger, you will need RT-Mod or some FX armor. If you don't have big head you will probably need different helmet than FX. There are some size comparisons between armors. You can always ask on forum, if somebody has your dimensions and what armor he use and how he looks like in it. Are you going to make ANH, TESB or ROTJ armor? These armors have few things different, it can be found on forum in specific section. All armors can be used for all these types, but sometimes they need to be modified. More different is Sandtrooper. If you think about it, go to http://www.mepd.net. What do you need to have complete stormtrooper? - white armor, helmet and straping system to wear this armor - black undersuit - black gloves - black neckseal - white boots - E-11 blaster - holster for blaster - canvas belt, plastic sheets used on FX armors are really bad. Much better is canvas cloth or white leather. For every part you have few options, how to solve them. They are different in quality and price. About straping system, it is needed if you want troop in armor. Use only velcro fasteners isn´t good idea for that. Do you want buy kit or assembled armor? Assembled armor is more expensive, but don´t need from you some effort and tools to build this armor. With assembled armor you can have problem, that armor will not suit you without modifications. What material of armor do you want? You can have ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), HPS or HIPS (High Performance Styrene,High Impact PolyStyrene, they are a bit similar). ABS is better for trooping, because it contains some rubber and it is more durable, but it is a bit expensive than HPS and on same thickness has not that sharp details than HPS. ABS usually contains UV filter, then it doesn´t go yellow. In HPS or HIPS it isn´t that sure. But usually these high gloss HPS, HIPS contains this UV filter. How much money you want spend? Yeah, it is on you. If you need perfect armor with replica E-11 blaster from real Sterling gun, perfect helmet from GINO. Prepare a lot of money. Few advices - When you buy armor from ebay you sometimes don´t know what you actualy buy. Because net is full of recasters. Guys who copy work of someone else and sell it. - On forum you can actualy find some original creators of armors. Then it is better buy from them original, if they make run, than support recasting. - Fiberglass helmet or armor for sale is suspicious. It is probably recast, because armors are primary vacumformed plastic. There was only one guy who made original armor this way. He is Steve Johnson from Australia. - Be beware post topic that "you want buy armor". Actualy I think, that this is prohibited here. - If you are member of the 501st Legion, you can ask in your local Outpost or Garrison. But I think for specific costume is always better ask in Detachment. If you have idea or I forgot something, write it here, I will fix it I know it is a bit duplicity of Daetrin post. But I made it as reaction for guys, who arrive here, say hello and then ask, where to buy armor on general "Armor and Helmet" section.

Doesn´t somebody know this? FX style armor. Location USA. FX/GT? Original stuff or recast? PM me if you something know and delete topic, if it is agains rules. One guy here have from them armor and I wanted know, what is this.

One thing is building Vac Form machine and another make molds.

It isn´t always about money. I had luck to buy cheap older vacum pump. And it is working fine, it only needs three phase motor to operate.

I use multihole system too. You can make more complex shapes and you will have sharp pulls, if molds are prepared correctly. But you need stronger vacuum pump and vacuum chamber. Working process: 1/ fix plastic sheet into frame and start heat it 2/ put mold on forming table 3/ when plastic is almost ready run vacuum pump and make underpressure/vacuum in vacuum chamber with closed valve to working table. 4/ move heated plastic to mold and open valve 5/ when cooling stop heating VacTrooper: may be, this is why you haven´t that sharp pulls

Huh a bit too much sharp, but in general it is more close to real stormtrooper helmet that these "screen accurate". It is shame to have on superb imperial technology stuff paint drops etc. It looks like every Imperial soldier in SW universe has to build own armor in garage. Thanks for photos. Will be some more?

Here my 2 cents. It is a bit longer explanation. Sorry for that. What is and what is not recast. When we speak in general and as example we use Stormtrooper. Really known costume, that is licenced to LFL. Then everything that is looks like it and it is recognizable is recast, if you don´t have licence from LFL. But LFL itself will not hunt fans who build own costume or buy it somewhere. They will not make war with fans, because fans fill they wallets. Idea of armor is still copyrighted by LFL, then even own created armor from your molds is technically recast, same as armor created from screen used molds or pulls. When you build and desing something own, that can be recognized as your own stuff, then it is not recast and you can do with it whatever your want. Back to stormies. As I said before and it was said in AA/SDS cause LFL will not hunt fans or propmakers if they stay low. For them isn´t that much important if you copied their costumes or build own molds. If creator will claim, that he sells original SW stuff and sell much of them, via ebay and have website with prices. He will have soon LFL lawyers behind his an impolite person. Same if you make recast or own molds based on this new licenced eFX helmet. Then you will have problem with lawyers from eFX. Everytime, when you sell something that you made and you don´t have permission for that, you are on thin ice of legality. It is on you when you cross virtual line. Now we look at this cause from community view. TE, TE2, AP, Gino are technically recasts of original armor. From community view, they work is ok, they did some effort and money to have what they have and lineage of their stuff can be documented. Then from community view, they are not recasters. Whole armor looks really like original from movies. Some of them try make it better, when you used costume from ROTJ and you want ANH look, because they were different. Some of them did only copy of this old movie used stuff. Then if someone get hands on original costume and make molds and can document it, he should be recognized as new manufacturer of screen accurate suit. These guys need to be more careful, when they sell something and they claim it as "screen accurate". Because they are a bit close to this virtual line. Then we have here different cathegory of costumes. Like TM, RT-Mod, Movie FX, FX/GT (Not sure if old version Movie FX armor was copy of FX/GT stuff or wasn´t. I don´t saw both armors from same generation to compare it or saw somewhere photos of molds). Guys created own molds and as reference used photos, dimensions from costumes above. From LFL they are recasts too and from community view they aren´t. They put more effort to create these costumes than previous cathegory. But still this is not recast And what is recast in community view? When somebody use costume/prop from previous two cathegories and copy it from pulls without permission of creator, then this is recast. Recast can be sometimes better that original, but still, who did it, he is stealing somebody hard work to make profit. Make recast is not that hard as build own molds from scratch. You can easy see them on ebay, when is costume is too cheap, lacks some details or seller sell a bunch of these costumes in short time. Then it will be probably recaster. These sellers sometimes change usernames, but sometimes use same photos of stuff. Known creators don´t sell stuff in large counts on ebay. They are not that crazy as was AA/SDS We and legion don´t support recasting as it was explained in previous rubric. But it is on people, if they will spent some time on Dettachement forums to understand basic of it or they don´t care and want cheap costume. Ebay is first call. As seen on AA/SDS cause, we see that Star Fortress's Republic crossed this virtual line of LFL, I´m a bit suprised, that no one contacted LFL and they have to take action in this cause. May be, we fear that they will more check our forums and watch more carrefuly propmakers. It isn´t hard for them, if they wanted to do it. You need only few weeks to find something interesting here. In general it sounds like to discourage people to make props Nope, if you like it as hobby and you will be careful, when you start sell something and you will be not much visible on ebay, then they will don´t hunt you down. I´m propmaker too. I have it as hobby and relax and there are my 2 cents

4565 It means nothing, but it is a bit easy to write and to remember

I use S100, it is glue for making waterproof connection of PVC parts, but it can be used for ABS or HPS. It only needs strong press these glued part together. It harden in few hours. Guys use it, when tuning cars. It works on solvent base. When it drops on plastic, it will makes small hole.

Yeah, they are TK parts from fibreglass. It is yellow or yellow with some black paint on it.

Interesting to see another vacuumforming machine. Funny is, that you probably discover. That this construction of machine is good for start not for wide use. When you push limits of this construction, if you want sharp pulls.

Yeah, this is true. But when time comes, technology touch magic

I don´t think, that way from "idealized" armor to "screen accurate" is only way. It is only about that, when you switch from costume fan to prop collector and then you demand "screen accuracy". Idealy armor and helmet used in movies and if you don´t have opportunity and money to buy it. Then you want at least some copy of it that looks same with every mistake from creators. And you are prepared to pay for it same price as for whole armor that probably will be not that perfect. Because another collectors demand same thing and will pay for it too. Somebody who is not collector can´t tell what is real prop and what is the best copy of it. And you are proud of it, that you can have it and it makes you happy. You see, I´m not collector and I think as prop maker and CGI artist, that they would make these armor perfect, if they can, 30 years ago. They did, what was the best, that they can do with this budged and time. And we love it. Symetrical or Asymetrical. Common SW fan doesn´t know that stormtrooper helmet is asymetrical. We know it and we know why. Stormtroopers were pride of empire, they have to look same, symetrical and perfect. As clones seen in prequels. You said, it looks unnatural, yeah true. But it is natural have army of clones of one man? But can be real. They were clones with same perfect armor, but every of them has own mind and different battle experience and if you meet then in battle, they will be not same. Even if they have primary numbers not names. Then if they look unreal, it was mistake from creators. It wasn´t important for them. This is why, I will try achieve, that my sandtrooper will look more real and not as cheap costume. Some of you, can tell, I don´t know nothing about collecting. My father collect coins more than 20. years and you can´t live with somebody like him without knowing nothing about this.